How To Block (Defer) Windows 10 Creators Update

Today’s (April 11th) the day that Microsoft will begin rolling out the Windows 10 Creators Update through Windows Update. I’ve been using the Windows 10 Creators Update for a few months now through the Insider Preview program, and I haven’t had any major issues. You can read some of my articles by looking at the Windows 10 Creators Update tag. You will find some how-to’s and customization tweaks that can be made with the new version. Since the Windows 10 Creators Update isn’t for everyone, you can also temporarily block Windows 10 Creators Update (or defer upgrades). This is especially easy if you’re using Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise.

How To Block Windows 10 Creators Update on Professional or Enterprise

While this won’t permanently block Windows 10 Creators Update, it will defer the upgrade for a while so you’ll be in a later round of deployment. Hopefully by then any of the initial bugs will be worked out and patched.

Click Settings > Update & security.

Click the link to Advanced options.

Check the box marked Defer Feature Updates. That puts you on the “Current Branch for Business,” which is the next phase in the deployment cycle.

How To Block Windows 10 Creators Update on Home Edition

Unfortunately it isn’t so easy to block Windows 10 Creators Update if you’re on the Windows Home Edition. You do have a few options though.

Option 1: Set Wireless As A Metered Connection
This is only easy if you only use a few Wi-Fi networks. If you connect to a network that’s not set as Metered, then the update could still download.

Check for a Wi-Fi connection by clicking the Notification/Action Center icon in the lower-right corner of your screen, then click (or tap) Network. If you’re on a Wi-Fi network you’ll see a list of your current Wi-Fi connection, plus other available (or remembered) Wi-Fi connections.

Click on your Wi-Fi network, click Properties.

Slide the Metered connection setting to On.

Option 2: Use Microsoft’s wushowhide utility to hide the “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1703”
The difficult part about this method is that it’ll only work once the update shows up in your Windows Update. Since the rollout is gradual, this could be days, weeks, or even months.

Wushowhide will run for a long time. Click the link to Hide Updates when it appears. If you see a checkbox marked “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1703,” check the box next to the item and click Next. (If you don’t see “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1703,” the upgrade isn’t being sent to your box yet. Check again tomorrow.)

Click Close, and you’re done.

When you’re ready to install the Windows 10 Creators Update, just use this same process to unhide the update from Windows Update.

Final Thoughts

Have you been using the Windows 10 Creators Update? We’re curious to hear your thoughts in the comments below if you’re planning to upgrade or defer the upgrade. I usually like the latest and greatest, even if it causes some headaches along the way.

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7 Comments

windows 10 creators update is an unmitigated disaster. It has been installed twice and literally made my PC unusable both times. I would pay Microsoft to block the automatic upload. Uninstalling the second time was almost imposssible.

I have frozen the majority of my systems at W7 pro and the modern machines which are not happy with W7 at W10 1511. It has been a very long time since the geeks at Redmond have developed anything that is even vaguely appealing to me in an operating system and their aggressive and domineering attitude to system invasion is absolutely unacceptable (even when it DOES work, which is certainly not every time).
Techiques like ths might be acceptable on the kiddies cell-phones, but for a professional business computer user, they are absolute anathema.
That the third largest tech.co. in the world with over US$10bn in profits should feel the need to start grubbing pennies as the freeware developers have to is worse than pathetic and simply acts to increase my already substantial resentment of the company and its methods.
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build 1703 is a windows users nightmare. from the mmc being disabled to the UEFI becoming a hackers playground i recommend steering clear of it.. remain on 1607 or 1511 or one better, rid yourself of windows and go ubuntu

We should update the computer system on every car that Microsoft employees drive that randomly wipes out all radio station presets and blue tooth connections. For a developer, having your pc reboot without warning is just WRONG. What about that early meeting that you are now late for? Microsoft YOU SUCK, and I hope I end up on a jury for a major lawsuit against you.
SUE THEM.

I like your way of thinking Jim, lol. yes we should. i’ve been dealing with alot worse than that, but the fool playing hacko games left themselves wide open a few days ago and revealed their MAC address. needless to say it’s Game Over for that dipsh*t

I’m already at 1703 update. But am wondering if its possible to force hide a single smaller update (KB4041676) it messes up programs I have and need to continue using. I see how you can defer security updates (which this claims to be) for up to 30 days. I’d like to buy enough time for the software vendors to make their own patches to accommodate this Windows 10 update.